AWFUL

10.14.11

Bishop Charged in Sex-Abuse Coverup

Vincenzo Pinto, AFP / Getty Images

Kansas City’s Roman Catholic bishop, Robert Finn, was indicted Friday for failing to report a suspected child-abuse case at the hands of a priest. The priest in question, Rev. Shawn Ratian, was arrested last spring for taking inappropriate photographs of young girls. Finn knew about the photos since December 2010, but didn’t turn them over to the police until May. His indictment is the first ever of a Catholic bishop in the U.S. since the scandal of sexual abuse by priests first went public 25 years ago. Finn has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge.